The investigation began a year earlier, in January 2011, when Mickle is accused in the indictment of discussing the purchase of marijuana with undercover agents he thought were los Zetas members. He and Epps eventually met with agents and proposed taking 500 pounds of marijuana from them in return for a down payment of stolen firearms. They are accused of telling the agents they would sell the pot in Columbia.
The indictment accuses the men of going to Laredo, Texas on Sept. 14, 2011, to continue discussions with the agents posing as los Zetas members, including settling on a price of $350 per pound. The agents accuse the men of proposing to use the proceeds of the sale of pot in Columbia to obtain handguns, rifles, fully automatic rifles and grenades.
Mickle and Epps are accused of introducing the undercover agents to Kevin Corley, who they represented as an active-duty U.S. Army officer willing to train cartel members in approaches, room clearing, security and convoy security and to purchase military weapons for them with the serial numbers removed.
In December, the indictment says, Kevin Corley mailed his “cartel” contacts a U.S. Army Battle Book and discussed his willingness to raid a Laredo, Texas ranch for them to steal 20 kilos of cocaine and perform “wet work,” meaning a contract killing.
On Jan. 7, Kevin Corley is accused of meeting with the undercover agents he thought were drug cartel members and sold them bullet-proof vests, Army manuals and unspecified other items. He also is accused of settling on a contract-killing fee of $50,000 and 5 kilos of cocaine, the indictment says. Finally, he brokered a deal in which Mickle and Epps would buy 500 pounds of pot for the Columbia market, for which he would provide security during transport.